Schedule Updating and Project Control - Construction Project Scheduling and Control - page 157

3. Finding any variances, determining where they are and the extent of the vari-
ances, and analyzing them to discover the causes
4. Taking corrective action whenever and wherever necessary in order to bring
the project back on schedule and within budget
Along with these four basic functions, project control can help the project man-
agement in different aspects such as improving work efficiency, schedule acceleration,
cost reduction, procurement and logistics, and other aspects of the project.
Project control in the context of this topic involves both budget control and
schedule control. It can also include quality control and safety control, but they usually
occur in separate departments and are analyzed differently. A significant correlation
exists between budget control and schedule control, as described later in this chapter.
The term project monitoring is sometimes used in lieu of project control .Project
monitoring, by definition, is passive. Technically, it includes the first three functions
of project control : monitoring, comparing, and finding. Although some people use this
term to mean more, it simply means “observing.” The term project tracking is also used
in the same context (Oberlender, 2014). Depending on the intention and the role of
the “tracker,” tracking may or may not be equivalent to project control. The owner
or construction manager (as an entity separate from the constructor) may “monitor”
or “track” the project by observing the progress of the work and comparing it with
the baseline budget, schedule, and quality. However, only the party who is physically
doing the work—namely, the constructor—can do the “control,” not only monitoring
or tracking it but also taking corrective measures whenever and wherever necessary.
SCHEDULE UPDATING
Schedule updating is just one part of the project control process. Schedule updating
must reflect actual work and involves incorporating approved changes into the baseline
schedule.
What Is a Baseline Schedule?
A baseline schedule is a schedule that is prepared by the contractor, usually before
the start of the project, and is used for performance comparison. If approved by the
owner, the baseline schedule usually becomes a part of the contract documents.
The baseline schedule is also called a target schedule .The as-planned schedule is
the schedule submitted by the contractor—as usually required by the contract—and
approved by the owner before the start of the project (and sometimes before the
signing of the contract). Sometimes, the baseline schedule is the same as the as-planned
schedule, but not always. In many situations, the as-planned schedule is submitted
and approved. Later on, some changes are implemented before the project starts, as a
result of debugging, the owner's changes, or both. The baseline schedule should not
be delayed beyond the start of the project, particularly if the contractor uses actual
dates to build such a schedule. Otherwise, it will not be baseline.